From Dust to Dust
by TheRisingDawn7
Summary: A return trip to Ryugunzawa, the appearance of a sweet but shady girl and a long and dark mystery, can all collide to bring out the most concealed secrets


From Dust to Dust

Quickly apologizing for the many gammer mistakes I know I made.....Please forgive. Oh, And I am not the Author of Ranma 1/2.... Do I look like a genius???? Rhetorical Question...Do not answer.

Return to Ryugunzawa

Akane was, as usual, furious. With well reason. She stomped on the dirt road, little fireworks of dust rising from each footstep. Ahead of her, Soun Tendo laughed heartedly with his partner in crime, Genma Saotome. Kasumi troded happily, a basket of food in hand, along side her the infamous ice queen, Nibiki.

Akane gritted her teeth, and rubbed a temple wearily, begging for patience.

"Ra-chan dosen't want want you food, so step off."

"You step off spatula girl! Aireen want Shampoo too too delicious food.

Yes, even through this was a "family vacation", somehow Ukyo and Shampoo the… other fiancées hand joined their journey. Of course no one had objected. What Akane thought would be a relaxing well needed trip, soon turned into a heaping headache, as the two went back and forth from clinging on her forced upon fiance and arguing on who would feed the bottomless pit.

Ranma Saotome . Bah. The name was both sweet and bitter in her mouth. She couldn't live with him, but she couldn't see living with out him.

She glanced back wearily, and her fury heightened when she saw the three of them. When Ranma caught her gaze, she her glare intensified. His eyes widened slightly , then he frowned and equaled her glare. Akane turned away and clentched her fists. Yes, she was angry. But even more then that she was hurt. Hurt that he would want to spend time with those… other girls instead of her. Her eyes prickled with fresh tears, but she fought hard against it. She would not cry. She rebelliously pushed down the pain ,and the anger blossomed 10 fold, the emotion she liked, or more likely, understood. She set her jaw, Ranma Soatome would not ruin this for her, he would not!

Ranma felt his throat constrict when she truned away. Then he mentally slapped him self. It was her own damn fault. He felt a surfacing jealousy when he remebered the reason she wanted to retun to Ryugunzawa .To see her dear friend, Shinnosuke. He scwoled at the imaginary male his teeth gritting. And to think that that she wanted to come alone. Ranma grumbled as the memory replayed in his head

She was quieter than usual that day, and Ranma had, of course, noticed, but he had kept his mouth shut. He didn't find out what was bothering her until the Tendo patriach had asked.

Her honey brown eyes filtered about for a moment , then after taking a heavy breath she voiced her thoughts.

"I was thinking of going on a trip." She said quietly.

"Oh" Soun asked "Where to?" She put her chopsticks down, and dropped her hands in her lap. Ranma stopped eating to glance at her " Yea where to, tomboy"

She ignored him, which annoyed Ranma to end no end.

"To, well, see an old friend."

She wrung her hands togeather nervously, and Ranma frowned . Whatever she was going to say was big.

"I want to visit Shinnosuke, in Ryugunzawa."

"What!" Fortunately for Ranma, Soun and Genma joined him in the exclamation.

"What do you want to see another man for? M'boy not man enough for you?"

Akane, baby girl, you're already engaged!"

"No, you ain't"

She turned, her eyes angry,but there was something else there, something that he couln't put his finger on.

"What? Jealous?" She spat.

"What! No, Why would I be jealous for a tomboy like you?"

Truth be told, angry jealously spouted in bushels within him. It was like a red hot flame engulfing, saffocating. His fingers twitched choking the air in front of him. The pit of his stomach twisted and several images flashed before him of what Shinnosuke would do with Akane alone.

"Exactly. So stay out of my buisness." She turned away "I want to go daddy"

"You ain't going." Ranma repeated, his month speaking before his brain realized how much trouble this would bring.

Akane jumped up. "And what do you care? Huh?"

A fiery aura surrounded her, a fury that was unlike any other. Ranma was awestuck. Every time her feelings took over, his heart would skip a beat. The passion she felt for everything she did,the way her eyes lit up, her hair floating with an unnatual force,crowning her. She was so…simply put, passionate.

"I'm going and I don't care what you say!"

She stomped off, and the family heard the door slam upstairs.

Soun sighed "What are we going to do?"

Kusumi leaned forward, refilling her father's plate. "Well, knowing Akane we can't stop her, but at least Ranma can join her."

"What! No way!" Ranma responded defiantly. Kasumi frowned at him "Come now, Ranma."

Aww, c'mon Kasumi just tell her she can't visit the jerk."

"Actully I think its time that we had a vacation.' Nibiki interjected.

"What!"

"A vacation, Ranma."

"I know what a vacation is, but why?" Nibiki shurgged her shoulder "We went to Ryugunzawa when Akane was small, why not return?" Besides, I want to meet this Shinnosuke."

Ranma gaped at her.

"That a great idea!" Soun cried out. "Its been a while since we've gone out."

"I could use a break, I suppose," Genma said, while lazily sipping his tea.

Kasumi smiled brightly, and then frowned slightly, "I will make some special food, but father… who is going to tell Akane?"

The family automatically glanced at Ranma.

"No I ain't gonna do it"

"Ranma you have to, she is your fiancée."

" Go up there and be a man!" Genma said while hoisting Ranma by the to trousers and throwing him up the stairs. As if by habit, he landed at her door. He got up cursing under his breath, and stared at the familiar duck with the name of his fiancée. He sighed, might as well.

He knocked on the door. "What!" she yelled

"Open the door" he yelled back.

"No!"

"Fine, not that I wanted to go in there, anyways"

There was a moment, then "Good. Then why are you here?"

"Ta tell you that we're all going to Ryugunzawa."

There was a silence for a moment, and then the door opened. Her face was flushed prettily, and the sight of her happy warm eyes knotted his stomach.

"A family vacation?" she asked meekly.

"Uhhh…." Ranma droned, still dumbfound by her appearance. "Yea...I guess"

She flashed a smile that could melt the coldest heart. "That's great!" she exclaimed happily.

"Yea…I guess' he repeated dumbly

"Thank you Ranma" her smile was without equal as she closed the door.

Ranma leaned back against the wall, his heart pounding wildly, his face flushed. It was perfect at that moment. He didn't know when or where it all went wrong. Somewhere in between Shampoo crashing in and Ukyo stopping by. Both girls promptly invited themselves, in fear that Akane would try something in their absence. Hah, he wished.

"Hello…Ra-chan? Are you listening to me?"

"Huh? What?"

"Have you heard a word I said?"

"Uhhh…. yeah." he answered weakly "Good" she said and started up again, chatting away happily.

Ranma glared up again to where Akane was huffing away. He smiled wearily as he saw that even in her step she could display her anger.

Then he frowned once again as he remembered why they were there. Shinnoske. He would pound that guy first chance he got. Hah, he probably wouldn't remember her, knowing his memory.

He sighed as he saw a familiar pathways up ahead. He was taken back to where Akane and him had held hands their whole trip home. Her hand was almost lost in his. Compared to her, he felt big and clumsy, hers being so small, fragile. Delicate. His hand twitched at the memory. The elegant curve of her fingers, a soft palm, warm, clutching strongly to his. It was bliss.

He sighed again. His life was a pain. But she was a shining beacon for him, a chance at a better life. A worn, awkward half man like him, didn't deserve to be even near someone like her, never mind engaged, his future wife.

Yes, his future wife. He would make sure. Well, if she wanted to. He paled suddenly as a thought struck him. What would he do if Akane never fell in love with him? If she finally had enough of his big rude mouth and decided to cut him off? What if she fell for …well Ryoga or worse…Kuno? What would he do?

Ranma grounded his teeth. He didn't know. He didn't want to know. "Aireen not listening! Where Aireen thoughts?"

Ranma was pulled from his thought and turned to the blue haired Amazonian.

"Uh… food?" He answered uncertain

"Aiiiii! Aireen hungry!" She promptly reached into the pack on her back "I make too too good food.

"I don't think so, sugar" Ucchan said and flipped out a portable grill. The okonomiyaki chef began cooking.

Shampoo growled fiercely "No Aireen eat Shampoo food!"

Ranma watched them helplessly, glancing back and forth the battling girls. One would think that any man's dream would be to have this; two bombastic girls fight to feed him. But Ranma felt mostly annoyed.

He heard a crunching of leaves and looked up. Akane stood there in all her glorious swirling wrath staring daggers at him. He saw her petite hands squeezing the stuffing out of the straps of her pack.

"We're settling up ahead, but if you want to stay here, by all means, do so."

She turned on her heel, and retreated back into the dense forest.

"Hey!" Ranma took quick steps into the brush she had disappeared in.

"Hey! Akane!"

"What!" she yelled back at him, but not stopping. He hurried to her side.

"Whatcha mad at this time!" Akane scoffed " Nothing Ranma. Go back to your girlfriends. Their eager to feed you."

Her eyes were pure brimstone and she extenuated red-hot flames.

"Fine. But you're the one who wanted to come in the first place. Don't know what you getting all mad for."

Akane stopped short and stared at him.

"So its my fault?" she asked quietly

"Well…yeah."

He didn't know where it came from but all of a sudden she was whacking at him with a huge mallet. He dodged deftly and frowned at her.

"Now what!"

"How can you say this is my fault? Huh?"

"I'm just sayin' we wouldn't be here if you didn't want to."

"I do want to be here!" she shouted as she swung the hammer aggressively. "But alone! With my family! With you. Not your fiancés!"

Ranma froze, which was a mistake seeing she was still obviously attacking. He caught the offending object and pulled it out of her hands.

"What?"

Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears and it hurt him, Damnit, it hurt. His stomach twisted and his heart thumped painfully in his chest.

"Akane…I…."

She covered he face with her hands, and turned away. Ranma felt badly before, but this was ten times worse. He reached out with a hand inches from her, when she seemed to explode. She took off leaving behind a trail of flying leaves and stinging tears.

Ranma was caught off guard stared at her retreating figure when the impulse to chase her reached his brain. His feet moved though his mind had not yet made any command. It was on pure instinct a habit he developed of following Akane wherever she went. To apologize, this time. To hell with the other girls, he wanted Akane and only her. He steadied his step and ran hard. To apologize and finally …confess.

) Painfully Submited By Yareli (


End file.
